Children

The sacrifice that some children make at such young age is hard for most to imagine, but across the world many young people sacrifice their education and future to support that of their families. War, natural disasters and poverty have left many families and children seeing little options for survival and prosperity, causing many to remove children from school to enter the workforce, or even worse literally selling a child, in order to support the family.

May Thet, a teenager in Myanmar, has become the only hope to earn enough money to provide food for the family and send her younger sister to school. The sacrifice for May Thet is her education, her future;

“I feel like crying when I see my friends going to school, but, I have to console myself. It’s my destiny. There are a lot of us who can’t go to school because we have to help our parents. …Earning the family income is much more important right now than going to school.”

May Thet is lucky in some ways, as her mother has made sure that she stays close to home, despite the lure of additional income by going to work in Yangon (Rangoon), the country’s capital.

“My mother said no [to my going to Yangon to look for work as a housemaid], because she was afraid I would be sexually assaulted or trafficked into the sex industry. I’m also afraid of being sold or raped. But my mother told me I cannot go there. I have to listen to my mother’s orders.” (IRIN)

Almost three years after an earthquake devastated the communities in Pakistan, many stories mirror that of May Thet’s, as child labor on the rise in quake-hit north. The issue of child labor in Pakistan is nothing new, however following the earthquakes devastation a substantial rise in the number of children out of school and forced to work has caused grave concern to NGO’s and local authorities. NGO’s estimate that some 30% of children in the region are working and the last known estimate of child labor in Pakistan in 1996 put some 3.3 million children in the labor force, while now those in the field say the problem has only increased.

Endless cycles of debt bondage, one of the widest used forms of modern slavery, leave children forced to work towards the families debt, such as in Afghanistan’s brick factories. A local NGO in Sorkhrod District of the Nangarhar Province, estimated that some 2,298 children, mostly under the ages of 15, work in the 38 brick-making factories, 90% of which are not in school (IRIN).

However child labor and low school attendance levels are not the only concern for many countries, as abuse, violence and trafficking are also at the heart of the problem. As seen after a shocking case of abuse emerged from Pakistan last month as a father of 6, clubbed 4 of his children to death. Abdul Salam, an out of work laborer, stated that he had killed the children who ranged in age from 18 months to 11 years old , as he could no longer feed them. Salam had attempted to kill all 6 of the children; however 2 of the children survived the vicious attacks. Salam told the local press that he had killed the children because he was “unemployed for 10 days and could not meet their demands”, and that there was insufficient food in the house and when he killed them they had gone to sleep hungry, he said (Lack of food prompting extreme actions by parents).

The stories of children denied an education and a future are endless, they cover the globe and while the names may change, the stories themselves remain much the same. The issue of child labor only bringing a global magnifying glass to a local issue, uncovering the root causes for the worlds some 27 million slaves. Looking through the glass one can see that sustainable solutions must be immediately put into place in communities hit by disaster to ensure that children are able to remain in school while the families are able to rebuild and recover, as well as to those communities which continue to struggle with poverty and economic hardship. Education and awareness must also be brought to both the short and long-term effects of child labor and debt bondage, in order to begin to break the cycle and see a development of sustainable and viable solutions in each community.

Child marriage question riles Saudi society
The issue of child marriages in Saudi Arabia has united an unlikely coalition of opponents including human rights groups, clerics, journalists and intellectuals who decry the practice as harmful to children. Saudi officials now find themselves under increasing pressure to legislate a legal age for marriage, something the kingdom does not currently have.

Agony of Burma’s dumped children
The devastating cyclone that swept through Myanmar also separated children from their families. According to aid agencies such as UNICEF, as many as 2,000 children in Myanmar are displaced. Reuniting fractured families is complicated by the lack of telephones in Myanmar, as well as the disorganized nature of the country’s refugee camps.

Pregnant women a priority for health services in Myanmar
In the aftermath of Nargis, the country’s worst natural disaster, the risk factors for pregnant women have increased. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the country has a maternal mortality rate (MMR) of 383 deaths per 100,000 live births. Pregnant women are among those in the greatest danger during humanitarian emergencies, with poor nutrition and a lack of access to safe delivery options often having fatal consequences, he explained. Based on fertility estimates, UNFPA estimates that at any given time there are 35,000 pregnant women in the delta, and each month, 4,400 women will give birth; of whom 440 will experience complications, and 220 will require Caesarean sections.

Child mortality rate steady in Asia as income disparity climbs
China and India together account for nearly a third of all child deaths, according to UNICEF. Despite rapid economic growth, particiularly in India, Asian nations have not been able to lower infant mortality rates — owing to a large and increasing gulf between wealthy and poor. Reducing child mortality by two-thirds is one of the Millennium Goals set forth for 2015.

From rebels to soldiers - the SPLA’s transformation
At the new headquarters of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA), some 10km north of Juba town, a large scale change is already underway.  “Now, with the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, the SPLA has been transformed into a conventional army … There is a tremendous change.”  The army, he added, is to create a new child protection unit in the coming weeks to ensure that no children are part of the SPLA’s ranks.

Zimbabwe’s Children follow shoppers to South Africa
Zimbabwean children are being drawn to South Africa to run errands and perform piecemeal jobs for shoppers from their own country - who are heading south because of the unavailability of basic goods in their own country. “Some of the children come in from Zimbabwe in the morning and return in the evening. They go through the border and no one seems to do anything to stop them from crossing,” said the guard, who declined to be identified. “I am worried about the little girls who enter the parking lot for the trucks, one wonders what happens in the dark, the girls can be raped.” A 2007 report by Save the Children (UK): Children on the move - Protecting unaccompanied migrant children in South Africa and the region, said the main pull factors for most of the unaccompanied migrant children living in South Africa stemmed from the belief that they had a better chance of finding work or other income-earning opportunities and going to school than if they remained in their home country.

In Zimbabwe Diamonds are Mutare’s best friends
Zimbabwe economy is in meltdown, with unemployment in excess of 80 percent and annual inflation officially at 2.2 million percent, forcing people to seek alternative ways of making a living. “Cases of children dropping out of school are higher in Marange, where the diamond fields are found,” said an official at the ministry of education, who declined to be identified. “The explanation from the children and their parents is that they see no need to pursue education when diamond panning can provide instant riches.”

UN to host rock band Rudely Interrupted
The six-piece Australian rock band Rudely Interrupted will play at the United Nations for International Day of People with Disabilities, on December 3, 2008. Five of the band members have physical or mental disabilities, ranging from autism to Down syndrome. “It allows us to show off to, well basically the whole world, what we are capable of,” said lead singer Rory Burnside, who is legally blind.

“Adults see the traditional dangers, like floods, cyclones, landslides or even tsunamis,” UNDP field coordinator for the programme Zihan Zarouk said, “but children can look outside the box, and identify things that adults probably see but tend to ignore.”

All too often children are taken for granted, as too young and naive, and thus are not consulted on what many view as adult decisions. However children look at the world with more open eyes and thus tend to see what most adults can miss. The case of disaster prevention is no exception and the adults have begun to listen with open minds in this case.

“Disaster management experts have come to appreciate the personal insight children bring to the training programme. They are often well attuned to the potential dangers that exist in their communities, and identify potential mitigating steps that might not otherwise be considered,” said UNDP field coordinator, Zihan Zarouk.

In Sir Lanka they have now begun to see children as early detectors, preventers of disaster. Children in 3 schools in each of the country’s 16 districts are part of a disaster awareness program run by the Sri Lankan Disaster Management Center, part of the Ministry of Disaster Management and Human Rights, and the UN Development Program (UNDP).

The program even includes a disaster version of Snakes and Ladders, “The snakes represent disasters while the ladders are mitigation methods. When a player gets to a snake he slides down on the board but when he reaches a ladder he moves up. “

While there may be some fun and games in the children’s disaster education, their ideas and thoughts are anything but child play!

In Burma (Myanmar) cyclone Nargis’s death toll has reached some 134,000 people dead or missing, one third of which may be children according to UNICEF. Thousands more young children are expected to die within two to three weeks from hunger if doesn’t reach them soon according to Save the Children. According to Save the Children, an estimated 30,000 children under the age of five in the cyclone-affected Irrawaddy Delta were already acutely malnourished before the cyclone hit on May 2, and thus would already be suffering from aggravated conditions of malnutrition. Undocumented numbers of children have also been left orphans by the cyclones destruction, more than 600 are estimated thus far, leaving the military junta to work with UNICEF and the Red Cross to set up orphanages for cyclone orphans(AP).

The World Bank is working to coordinate international aid for cyclone-hit country from The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and is ready to deploy teams to do damage assessments, Sarah Cliffe, Director of World Bank Operations for East Asia and the Pacific, said on May 20. The goal is to get humanitarian aid to victims, however the military government in Myanmar has said it won’t allow Western aid unfettered access to disaster areas.

The stonewalling of the government has left the European Parliament is threatening to bring the military regime before the International Court of Justice in The Hague. It will vote on May 22 on whether to charge the government with crimes against humanity, Radio Netherlands reported. Thus far only small portion of aid has been able to get through to the 2.5 million people affected by the cyclone. On May 23rd in a deal negotiated by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and junta supremo Than Shwe, it was agreed to let in “all” aid workers regardless of their nationality (Reuters). However within days aid efforts were already appearing to be stonewalled, nonetheless some aid efforts have been able to seep in and thus many are hopeful that the block on aid will quickly dissolve (Reuters).

One can only hope that the aid will not be too late for the thousands of Burmese children who have been left in extreme cases of hunger and nourishment as a result of both the cyclone and the bureaucracy that followed.

Twenty-four cities from Atlanta to Tel Aviv to Bangkok have agreed to turn off their lights for one hour on March 29 to draw attention to global warming. Organizers said more cities may join the event and that some 30 million people may participate (Associated Press). In related news UN officials say Human rights threatened by global warming

Central Mozambique is recovering from its worst-ever flood, emergency workers are trying to contain an outbreak of cholera, affecting more than 600 people in Mutarara district, Tete province, leaving ten people dead. ActionAid is working with the government and ngos to improve hygiene in resettlement camps, 100,000 have been evacuated, where many still live in tents or simple shelters.

Bolivia has officially declared a natural disaster, as more than 60,000 families affected by heavy flooding. Many have been rescued and taken to camps, hundreds are suffering from waterborne diseases and acute diarrhea. An estimated 52 people have died, eight are missing and more than 616,000 hectares of crops destroyed as rivers burst their banks (Plan UK).

In Haiti ensuring adequate nutrition for children younger than two is more beneficial than intervening with food assistance after young children show signs of malnourishment, according to a study published this month by the Lancet, a leading medical journal. The study compared the impact of two approaches implemented by US government-funded World Vision programs in Haiti. Researchers found that indicators of malnutrition - stunting, wasting and underweight - were 4% to 6% lower in communities participating in preventive programs, than those that which used recuperative approaches. (ReliefWeb)

In Indonesia poverty in the tsunami struck region of Aceh has fallen below the pre-disaster level, a new World Bank report shows, due to both peace and the large reconstruction effort. The Aceh Poverty Assessment 2008 report shows poverty in Aceh increased slightly in the aftermath of the tsunami, from 28.4% in 2004 to 32.6% in 2005. However, the poverty rate fell again in 2006 to 26.5%, below the pre-tsunami level, suggesting that the short lived rise was due to reconstruction activities. Despite any improvements, poverty in Aceh remains significantly higher than in the rest of Indonesia, with more than 30% of rural households below the poverty line, compared to less than 15% in urban areas.

Last week, on February 12th, UNICEF issued a press release urging donors to give some $856 million to aid women and children and women who have been victimized by such emergencies as the conflicts in Chad and Kenya, to natural disasters such as the floods in Mozambique. Launching its Humanitarian Action Report 2008, UNICEF stated that the funds are to be used to provide urgent assistance in the areas of health, education and nutrition.

There are a number of countries in urgent need of assistance including; Kenya where there are some 150,000 children, half of the estimated population that have been driven from their homes in the recent violence. In Chad there is an estimated 30,000 of those forced from their homes, some 52,000, who are vulnerable, many of which are children and in need of immediate assistance. Other countries with considerable needs are the DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo), the CAR (Central African Republic), Pakistan and the People’s Democratic Republic of Korea.

However the greatest needs still remains in Sudan, where sexual and gender-based violence remains an immense concern as the number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) continues to rise. There are some 2 million IDPs in Sudan, leaving camps stretched beyond capacity and aid agencies battling to meet the needs of those displaced as the conflict continues after nearly 5 years.

In reaction to the 230 page reports release, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, stated in a message to the Governing Council of the UN International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) in Rome on February 13th that efforts must be greatly increased to tackle poverty, especially in the realm of agriculture.

“This must be the year the international community renews its commitment to the needs of the weak, the disadvantaged, those who have been excluded from the mainstream of global society.”

Repeating his request that 2008 be the year that the international community seriously and effectively seeks to address the plight of the “bottom billion”, the poorest of the world’s poor.

Human rights organization Amnesty International has called for an end to forced evictions in Cambodia. Thousands of families have already been moved from their homes in the center of the capital Phnom Penh, and more evictions are set to follow. The authorities say this is a necessary part of Cambodia’s development. But in its report Amnesty disputes this, and says there has been a lack of accountability and consultation with local communities. Members of threatened communities from across Phnom Penh are fighting on, although their homes may soon be reduced to rubble. (BBC)

Hundreds of schools closed, roads were empty and shops were shuttered in districts in Nepal’s southern plains on Feb. 13 at the start of a strike by ethnic Madheshi groups to press for regional autonomy. Violent ethnic protests in the region last year claimed at least 45 lives, throwing a shadow over Nepal’s peace process after a decade-long civil war with Maoist rebels ended in 2006. Three Madheshi groups, saying they represent the dominant ethnic community of the fertile Terai plains, have called the indefinite strike aimed at blocking roads to Kathmandu and other hilly areas of landlocked Nepal. (Reuters)

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is deeply concerned about the growing number of civilian casualties, including children, resulting from the deteriorating security situation across Sri Lanka. Since the beginning of this year, the ICRC has observed an increase in the number of civilians killed or injured in targeted and/or indiscriminate attacks. In the first six weeks of 2008, more than 180 civilians were reported killed and almost 270 injured in a series of attacks on civilian buses, railway stations and individuals in Colombo, Dambula, Kebhitigollewa, Madhu, Okkampitiya and Welli Oya. (ICRC)

An independent UN expert Feb. 13 hailed progress in Saudi Arabia on advancing the status of women but urged more action to prevent gender-based violence and raise their profile in public life. “Women of Saudi Arabia, in full respect of their societal values, appear ready to embark on a new stage of engagement in contributing to the advancement of their society and that of the coming generations of women and men,” the Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women, its Causes and Consequences, Yakin Erturk, said in a statement after visiting the country from Feb. 4-13. (UN News)

Severe flooding caused by weeks of heavy rain is now known to have left 48 people dead and some 40,000 families homeless, authorities in Bolivia say. Two rivers in one of the worst-hit provinces, Beni, have broken their banks and are threatening to cut off the main city in the region, Trinidad. The government has declared a state of emergency and launched relief efforts. Among the worst-hit areas are the eastern provinces of Beni and Santa Cruz as well as Cochabamba in central Bolivia. Several thousand people have been moved from areas at risk in Beni. (BBC)

Sexually transmitted diseases have spread so widely in some Aboriginal communities that mass treatment without individual testing, even for children as young as 10, is the only way to fight the problem, according to a medical paper published Feb. 4. The authors of the paper in The Medical Journal of Australia, Dr. Frank Bowden and Dr. Katherine Fethers, contend that the traditional method of screening and treating people individually is not working because patients often move on before their test results have been returned and because of a lack of resources. (NYT)

Afghanistan has fallen off the radar for many in the wake of the ongoing war in Iraq, however the struggle in Afghanistan is far from over. Rebuilding after a war, and years of repression, is never easy, especially for the children. The children of Afghanistan have been born into hardship, they dream of prosperity, and they continue to suffer needlessly as the remnants of war remain. The fight for adequate housing, healthcare and education are not the only struggle in post war Afghanistan, but children are also suffering from preventable diseases, landmines, and mother nature.

Too many young children dying of preventable diseases, as some 600 children under five die every day in Afghanistan due to pneumonia, poor nutrition, diarrhea and other preventable diseases, according to the State of the World’s Children 2008, which was released by the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF). While the country has made substancial improvements to the healthcare system, they have the 3rd highest infant mortality rate, and has the 2nd highest maternal mortality rate, in the world. While these figures are high, the child mortality rate in the country has dropped 25% since 2001, due to an increase to 80% of basic health services for citizens.

One of the most dangerous remnants of war that plague the children of Afghanistan are the landmines that are scattered across the country, hidden from plain site. Children are at high risk for landmine death or injury, and with injuries comes another battle in a country with an already weak healthcare infrastructure, as some 95% of landmine injuries result in disability. According to the UN Mine Action Centre for Afghanistan (UNMACA) landmines have killed 143 and wounded another 438 people in 2007 alone. The 2007 figures are down from 2006 when 124 where killed 124 and 697 wounded, however they remain too high and demining must be made a higher priority. The use of landmines by rebel factions is high due to their inexpensive nature as the report, Laying Landmines to Rest? Humanitarian Mine Action, shows that conventional anti-personnel landmines cost a mere $3 to $27 to produce, and according to the UK Mine Information and Training Centre (MITC), clearing these mines costs the international community $300-$1,000 per mine. Therefore

Sadly this winter has not been a friend to the the Afghans, as the cold-snap deaths top 300 (note, as of January 29th death toll rises over 500), as heavy snows have pounded much of the country over the last month. Most of the reported deaths have been children, and the death toll is expected to rise as the harsh weather continues. Most of those severely effected live in rural areas, with little to no access to healhcare, which is a major concern as children are more susceptible to cold related diseases such as pneumonia.

All of the factors heavily impact a child’s access to education, with attendence in schools remaining low, according to UNICEF attendence from 2000-2006 was estimated at 40% for females and 66% for males at the primary level and only 6% for females and 18% for males at the secondary level.

Therefore one can easily see that these are major concerns for the long term future of Afghan children and the sustainability of the country on the whole. Thus we must not leave the children of Afghanistan in the shadows of war, but increase our aid efforts and bring the continuing struggles of the innocent children to the forefront.

It has been a month since the deadly cyclone hit Bangladesh, leaving families still searching and hoping for the return of the missing, which are estimated around 900 people still missing, mainly women and children.

“The sea took my baby,” one young mother said, recalling in vivid detail how she clung to a tree holding her daughter’s shirt in her mouth like a mother lioness - only to have her ripped away within seconds. “I can’t find her anywhere,” she lamented (Plight of cyclone missing continues).

Hundreds where orphaned by Cyclone Sidr, as it took more than 3,000 lives, leaving an told number of children parentless and to deal with the aftermath alone.

“I lost everyone, I don’t know what to do or where to go,” Mohammad Hasan, 12, said as he stood outside his home.

According to UNICEF some 8.5 million people where affected, approximately half of which where children. With an estimated half a million under the age of five affected, concerns have been raised as children are now at high risk for trafficking. In response UNICEF has set up special protection programs for some 20,000 at risk children, however more programs and resources need to be put into place to ensure the safety of the children, especially the girls who are at greater risk for trafficking and exploitation.

The recovery from Cyclone Sidr looks to remain slow, and more aid is greatly needed to assist in the recovery and rebuilding efforts.  More medical assistance, educational programs, physiological support, and protection programs remain in dire need for the children of Bangladesh. Despite any increases in aid, the effects of Cyclone Sidr look to be long lasting, and the ones who need the most attention and time to recover are the children.

Three years ago today as many of us sat with family and friends, enjoying the end of the Christmas holiday, an unpredicted tsunami struck South Asia, leaving nothing but destruction and death in it’s wake. In remembrance to the estimated 230,000 people from 13 countries, who lost their lives on that unforgettable day, many memorial and remembrance ceremonies where held across the globe today.

Sadly the effects of that devastating day linger on, many children and their families are still unable to escape the detrimental after effects of the disaster. While some $13.6 billion has been estimated donated thus far, many local communities have seen little assistance in getting their lives and homes back to normal, and children are most often the hardest hit.

In the wake of the tsunami many children where left orphans, placing them at risk for trafficking networks, which prey on vulnerable children, who sell children forced labor or sexual slavery. Aid agencies and governments have took numerous steps to see that children where protected, and many safeguard systems where put into place. Education was also a source for concern, as the rebuilding of schools has been slow, but education remains a priority and schools continue to provide stability and hope for the future.

While considerable progress has been made in areas such as health, nutrition, education, and protection, children in the tsunami effected regions continue to remain at risk, as the rebuilding and recovery continues. The three year aniversiry of the tsunami serves not only as a reminder to remember those whom lost their lives, but those who survived and continue to need the international communities help to recover and develop sustainable programs to ensure their futures are never again uprooted in such a devastating way.

Related News Articles and Links:
Three Year UNICEF Tsunami Anniversary Monitoring Report
Commemorations held in Thailand for 3rd anniversary of tsunami
People mark the three-year anniversary of the Indian Ocean tsunami at a memorial in Khao
Mourners Mark Three Year Anniversary Of Worst Known Tsunami In History
BBC
The Christian Science Monitor
Tsunami Children Lost, Vulnerable
In Pictures: Children’s tsunami art
Tsunami Children Foundation
Tsunami Children - CNN Photo’s
Children of Tsunami
UNICEF Newsline on the Tsunami